Suction cleaner



Feb. 3, 1942. D. G, sMELLIl-z sucTIoN CLEANER Filed Nov. 28. V1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1101i aida' Sme-lli@ ATTORNEY Feb. 3, 1942. n. G. sMELLlE r2,271,553

sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Nov. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR onald fmelli'e ATTORNEY adjustment;

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\ Suction Patented Feb. s, 1942 UNI-TED stares PATENT OFFICE- SUCTHN CLEANER Donald G. Smelli-e, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hooverv Company, North Canton, Ohio, a cor.

poration of Ohio Application November l28, 1938, Serial No. 242,712

6 Claims.

suction cleaner rotary agitator embodying pivoted v helcally extending agitating elements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator for suction cleaners which provides pivoted helically extending brush elements. Afurtherv object .of the invention is to provide, in arotary agitator for suction cleaners, a pivoted brush element lwhich is vradially adjustable by manual means.v These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specication and claims andupon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate. l

Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and in which the same reference character refers to the same part throughout:

Figure 1A is a side elevation of a modern suction cleaner embodying an agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention, certain parts of the casing being broken away;

invention relates to suction` a surface covering by the cleaner agitating means and the removal of that material by air ow. In acleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention the means which create the air flow and by which it is effectively directed may be of any common and well known type. Modern rotary agitators of the best design incorporate rigid positive beating elements and flexible brushing elements. These latter elements are normally made of animal hairs and are subjected to wear and after being used for a time require adjustment or replacement. In the agitator constructed in accordance with the present inven- Figure 2 is a partial side View of an agitator constructed in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a longitudinals'ection upon the line -3-3 of Figure 2;

Y Figure 5 is a transverse section upon the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and discloses the pivoted brush `in the mid-position and out of contact with a surface undergoing cleaning; l

- Figure 6 is a transverse section upon the line vI-l of Figure 3 at substantially the longitudinal mid-point of the brush;

Figure V7 is a view similar to Figure 5 and ilr lustrates the angular position of the brush upon making contact with a sur-'face undergoing cleancleaner effectiveness depends upon the dislodgment of the foreign material embedded in tion the'bru'shing elements `are helically extending, and are pivotally vmounted upon longitudinal axes-parallel to the axis of agitator rotation. This arrangement permits of a greater bristle length and therefore greater life 'for bristle length has a direct bearing upon bristle life. The agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention is a more-efficient, morequiet and more lasting construction than those formerly used 4and embodied in suction cleaners.

Referring again to the drawings, and to Figure l in particular, the modern suction cleaner is illustrated which includes a nozzle-I having surface-contacting lips 2 and 3, and a suctioncreating unit including a fan chamber and a fan 5. The fan is rotatably mounted upon a driving shaft 6 the lower end of which is formed as a pulley 1.. In operation the fan draws air Vfrom the nozzle I, along the air passageway 8 which connects the nozzle to the fan chamber, and exhausts the air from the latter through an exhaust outlet 9. A removable dust bag II) is connected to the outlet and filters from the air which it receives the suspended foreign material, An unshown driving motor is housed within a motor casing II above the fan-chamber 4. A pivoted handle I2 provides means by which the operator can propel the cleaner over a surface undergoing cleaning upon the front and rearlustrat'ed. The agitators seen 'tocomprise an elongated bellow cylindrical 'casing'. |18 closed at l its ends by end plates I9V each of which seats a ball bearing seated upon a supporting shaft ence character 26, which are mounted within the normal contour of the body I8 in seats indicated by the reference character 21.

Each brush element comprises a rigid straight mounting element 29 upon which. is piVoted a helically extending Ielement 30 from which extends brush tufts 3|. The mounting element 29 at its ends and its end walls are formed with downwardly or inwardly facing shoulders which the brush back shoulders are intended to underlie and against which they are held by the seatcarried spring 33. At one end of the brush seat the shoulder is indicated at 38 and extendsentirely across the seat and for the full Width of the positioning element 29. At the opposite end of the brush seat, however, two low shoulders 39 lare spaced apart and between them at a greater heightin the brush seat is a central narrow shoulder 40. Shoulder or seat is adapted to receive and seat element shoulder 31. Narrow shoulder 31 on the brush positioning element is higher thereon than wide shoulder 36, the height separating them being equal to one-half the distance Aseparating shoulders v39 and 40. Also the wide shoulder 38 at the opposite end of the brush seat is at a 'height in the seat which places it midway between the shoulders 39 and 40 at the opposite end thereof.

ofthe brush back is adapted to be received in an axially-extending-rectangularfsection-lower portion of the brush seat 21, as illustrated in Figure 6, and when so positioned, the pivotingl their centers, the brush being in a mid-position as illustrated in Figure 6.

The pivoted element 30 of the brush back is positioned above the rigid mounting element 29 and also above that portion of the brush seat which receives the supporting element. As the brush is intended to pivot upon its support Athe brush seat is formed above its central portion with diverging side walls so arranged that the entire length of the brush is permitted an angular movement of equal vextent upon both sides of a true radial position. In Figures 5 and 6 the brush is shown in its seat in mid-position, and at each point along its length extends radially, while in Figure 7 the brush is shown tilted to its maximum trailing position under the frictlonalimpact of a surface undergoing cleaning. Itis seen that the brush is deflected by the surface impact from its mid-point and away from the direction of agitator rotation, as indicated by the arrow in Figure '7.

'Ihe brush 26 is removably positioned within its seat 21 with its ends underlying the end walls of the brush seat vand spring-pressed upwardly Thevrelationship is such that when the brush is new the narrow shoulder 31 of the brushpositioning element underlies the wide shoulder 38 at the inner end `of the seat andthe wide shoulder 36 of the` brush positioning element l underlies and contacts the lower shoulders 39,

thereagainst by the seat-carried leaf spring 33.

To enable-the brush to be re-positioned with the supporting element 29 at a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation to compensate' for a decrease in the length of the bristles following extended use the supporting element 29 and the ends of the brush seat 21 are formed to -cooperate to give to the brush differing radial positions when reversed end for end. The construction used is that disclosed and claimed in United -States Letters Patent 1,991,975 granted to V. E. Carlson.

Briefly described the construction which per-` part way thereacross. The brush seat 21 is open 3 9 at the outer end of the seat. The brush is then in its new, position, which is proper, for the bristleelements have their greatest length.

When the bristles become worn and their length decreased the brush element or unit is removed and reversed end for end. The narrow shoulder 31 then extends between the lower shoulders 39,39 at the outer ends of the brush seat and underlies and contacts narrow and high shoulder 40 therein while wide shoulder 36 on the element has been shifted from shoulders 39, 39 of minimum height to shoulder 38. As shoulder 40 is higher in the seat than the shoulder 38 at the opposite` end thereof it is clear that the end of the brush element at which the narrow shoulder 31 is positioned has moved radially outward in the agitator. The wide end 36 of the positioning element now underlies the broad shoulder'38 at the inner end of the brush seat and as that shoulder is higher than the lower shoulders 39, '39 at the outer end it is apparent that that end also has moved lradially outward. The distance, of course, which the ends of the brush element has moved radially outward is the same.

The brush is removed from its seat by depressing one-of its'ends, the inner end, against the force exerted by the leaf spring 33 to cause Ait to'move under the overlying seat shoulder 38.

The opposite end of the brush unit can then b e tilted outwardly from the brush seat and the entire unit removed.

I claim:

l.4 A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner com-- prising a body rotatable about an axis, an elongated helically extending brush on said bodythe radial extremities of which are equidistant from said faxis" throughout the length thereof, and means mounting said brush for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of agitator rotation throughout the length thereof,-

and rneans in said body mounting said brush for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of agitator rotation and under a force received from a surface undergoing cleaning.

3. In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, a rotatable body, a reversible removable helically ex' tending brush pivotally supported in said body for movement upon an axis parallel to the axis of rotation, and means to vary the radial extension of said brush in its reversed positions in said body. l

4. A brush for a suction cleaner or the like comprisingv a rigid support element having un like supporting surfaces at its opposite ends and adapted to be reversibly positioned in a cleaner agitator body, said supporting surfaces being so constructed and arranged as to support said element. at different heights in the reversed positions, a back pivotally mounted on said element,

and brush bristles on said back.,

5. A brush for a suction cleaner or the like comprising a rigid support element having unlike supporting surfaces at its opposite ends and adapted tobe reversibly positioned in a cleaner agitator body, said supporting surfaces being so constructedv and arranged as to support said element at different heights in the reversed posij positions in the reversed positions, characterized' in that the central portion only of'said brush is moved in a direct radial direction upon the reversai of said brush in said'seat, the remaining portions moving in directions at an'angle to their true radii whereby the central portion of said brush receives the maximum radial adjustment.

DQNALD n. SMELLIE. 

